ACCRA, Sept 24 (The African Portal) – The Ghanaian government says it has regained control of nine major forest reserves previously overrun by illegal miners and criminal gangs, describing the move as a turning point in its fight against galamsey (illegal mining).
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah told state broadcaster GTV that although security forces had been deployed to the forests for nearly two years, gangs had entrenched themselves until a recent joint operation forced them out.
The affected reserves, labelled “red zones”, had become no-go areas for law enforcement. Officials say thousands of hectares of forest and several rivers in the Western, Ashanti and Eastern regions were badly degraded.
Environmentalists warn the destruction of forests and pollution of water bodies could lead to long-term water shortages and biodiversity loss.
Buah said permanent security would be stationed in the red zones to prevent miners from returning, alongside restoration efforts such as the Tree for Life programme.
“Protecting these forests is protecting our very survival as a country,” he said.
Ghana is currently faced with an unprecedented threat to our forest resources and water bodies due, largely, to illegal small scale mining.
Within 5 years, illegal mining had degraded 2.5 km2 (4.4%) of the total area of the reserve and the destruction of cocoa farms and water sources.
